The Sweet Escape
by WritingForMySoul12
Summary: Shelby runs away from her controlling parents on her wedding day. With very little money to her name she decides to become a surrogate for a desperate gay couple hoping to have a child. When Shelby refuses to sign the contract that will separate her from her child for 18 years, she has to pack up her life all over again. Will she ever be free? Shelby/Rachel centric. T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of the characters. **

**A/N: I have been re watching Glee from season 1. I love Idina Menzel and I was so mad at the way Shelby Corcoran's character was written and the way things happened between her and Rachel. It made her look like a heartless bitch! I saw so much potential for Shelby and Rachel's relationship. Until Shelby rejected her and adopted Quinn's baby. I hope to make this a totally different Shelby/Rachel story. **

**Here's the back story: **

**Shelby is 21 years old and her parents are very controlling. They even picked out the man they wanted her to marry! Shelby puts her foot down and starts saving up money and plans to run away before she is forced to marry a man she doesn't love. Shelby moves to California, changes her name and desparately starts looking for a job. She sees an ad in the paper of a gay couple looking for a surrogate paying $25,000. She meets with Hiram and Leroy and they ask her to be their surrogate. When Shelby is 4 months pregnant, Hiram and Leroy bring up a contract and Shelby refuses to sign it. She's already so in love with her baby, she can't see having to go 18 years without her. She asks her friends to help her runaway with the baby. **

**Hiram and Leroy are furious when they find out Shelby has disappeared with their child and they use all their resources, money being no object, to find her.**

* * *

**Chapter One**

_Prologue_

"Shelby Marie Corcoran, meet your father and I in the family room!" Elaine Corcoran called up the stairs.

Shelby huffed and put down her pen. She wondered if her parents were going to yell at her for getting an A minus on her exam. You see, Shelby did everything her parents expected and asked of her. And getting an A minus might have serious consequences. "Coming Mother!" Shelby called. She glanced in the mirror on her way out of her room to make sure her appearance would be acceptable. She entered the family room and sat in the chair across from her parents.

"Hello, dear. How are you doing?" Baxter Corcoran asked.

"I'm doing well Father, thank you." Shelby answered politely.

"Shelby, sit up straight." Elaine said, raising her eyebrow at Shelby. "How are your studies going?" She asked.

"Alright, Mother. I'm glad for the break." Shelby said. She was starting to get nervous. She was sure her parents were going to rip her to shreds over that stupid A minus!

"Good. We have some exciting news for you dear. Reggie, has asked your Father and I for your hand in marriage. And we've accepted!" Elaine said.

Shelby's mouth dropped open. She snapped it shut before her Mother could correct her. "Reggie did what?" She said. She couldn't believe her scummy ex-boyfriend went behind her back and asked to marry her when she just broke up with him the night before. She was pissed off.

"When he proposes, you will say yes. Do you understand young lady?" Elaine asked, leaning in to lock her cold blue eyes with Shelby's hazel eyes.

"Mother, no! I won't." Shelby said.

"No?" Elaine repeated. She couldn't believe Shelby was defying her. "I know you and Reggie have some issues, but you'll get through them. This isn't a request Shelby Marie." She said.

Shelby was so angry in that moment. She wanted to cuss her Mother out, but she didn't. "Father? Are you going along with this?" She asked.

"Princess, marrying Reggie is a good idea. He's rich, well known, he could provide for you, he'd be a perfect husband for you." Baxter said.

Shelby stood up quickly, "May I go to my room now?" She asked. She just wanted to get the hell away from her parents.

"Yes, you may. We will start wedding plans tomorrow." Elaine said as Shelby started heading out of the room.

Shelby almost ran from the room and rushed up the stairs with silent tears streaming down her face. This was one of the worst ways her parents had ever betrayed her. Hasn't she always done what they asked her to? She dated Reggie since freshman year because her parents were so fond of him. And now they expected her to marry him? No, this was where she was going to draw the line. She needed a plan. She needed to disappear before her wedding day. She couldn't let this marriage happen. She'd be trapped into another life where she couldn't think for herself. She decided to get as far away from New York as possible. She started a search online to go through the process of changing her name. This would be the first step in her plan to escape. She new she would have to play it cool, so her parents wouldn't become suspicious of her.

_4 months later..._

Everything was in place. Shelby closed her bank account, she had $7,000 dollars in cash. She had 2 medium sized suitcases in the trunk of her car. A train ticket in her new name and she had purchased a throw away cell. Her new name was Dove Markwell. She decided LA California was plenty far enough from her parents and thought she might like living there. The next morning, she got ready for her wedding. She was shaking with adrenaline.

"Oh, Shelby you look marvelous." Elaine said in awe. She lightly kissed Shelby's cheek and pulled back to dab at a lone tear streaking her cheek.

"Thank you Mother." Shelby said quietly. She was counting the minutes until her parents left in their limo and she could escape.

"Elaine, our car is here." Baxter said walking into the room after a few quick knocks. "You look beautiful princess." He added once he caught sight of his daughter.

"Thank you Father." Shelby said.

"I'm coming, dear. We'll see you at the church Shelby." Elaine said, taking her husbands arm.

Once her parents left the room, Shelby rushed to the window and watched as they got in their limo and headed for the church. The second her parents car left the driveway she stripped out of her wedding dress and left it in the middle of the floor. She changed into some jeans and a t - shirt and was ready to go. She glanced at her room one last time and dashed down the stairs. She hopped into her royal blue Dodge Neon and drove to the train station. She parked in the parking lot and left a note and the keys in the center console and walked into the train station. After a three day ride, She arrived in Los Angeles. Shelby walked out of the train station and took a deep breathe and smiled. She did it. She was free.

* * *

"Would you like some more coffee miss?" The waitress asked.

Shelby looked up from her newspaper and smiled, "No thank you. Are there any nice hotels nearby? I just moved here and I need a place to stay until I get an apartment."

"If you love the water, there's the Mariott Marina Bay. Or The Hilton Garden Calabasass. Which isn't by the water but it's lovely." The waitress suggested

"Thank you so much." Shelby says. She picks up her paper, pays the waitress, grabs her bags and heads outside the café to wait for a taxi. LA's pace wasn't too different from New York's.

"Where too ma'am?" The taxi driver asked.

"The Marriot Marina Bay, please." Shelby said. She opened the paper again and went to the classifieds. She saw all types of jobs paying no more then fifteen dollars an hour. Although the rate of pay was nice, she felt like she needed more. She needed to have enough to escape again if she had to. She saw an ad for a surrogate in big bold letters and the couple was offering twenty-five thousand dollars. She circled it twice and decided to call them once she got settled into her hotel room.

"Would you like a single or double bed?" The man at the front desk asked.

"Double please." Shelby said.

"And how will you be paying?"

"Cash." Shelby answered.

"Can I see some ID?"

Shelby pulled out her wallet and handed over her new ID.

"Dove? What a pretty name." The man complimented as he entered her information into the computer.

"Thank you." Shelby said. She slipped her ID back into her wallet and put her wallet back in her purse.

"Ok, Ms. Markwell you're all set. It's $250 for the week. And if you need anything, don't be afraid to call the concierge."

"Thank you." Shelby said. She accepted her room key and rolled her bags toward the elevator. When she got to her room she looked around and smiled. "Welcome to your new life Dove." She told herself. She unpacked her bags, took a shower and changed her clothes. Then she picked up the paper again and dialed the number.

"Hello, Berry residence." A soft male voice answered.

"Uh, hi, my name is Dove Markwell and I saw your ad in the paper..." Shelby said.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews! **

**Chapter Two**

"Oh my goodness! Thank you for calling about the ad! My name is Hiram." Hiram rushed out excitedly.

"Hello, Hiram." Shelby said. She liked his bubbly personality.

"Would you like to meet with my husband, Leroy and I?" Hiram asked. "We'd like to as you some questions and get to know you a little bit and I'm sure you have some questions for us." He added.

"That sounds great. I just moved here and I don't know my way around just yet." Shelby said, biting her lip.

"Oh, well Leroy and I don't mind coming to you. Where do you live?" Hiram said.

"I'm staying at the Mariott Marina Bay until I find an apartment." Shelby said.

"How about you have lunch in the hotel restaurant with Leroy and I around two?" Hiram asked.

"Yes, that sounds perfect." Shelby said.

"Ok, we'll see you then. Have a good night Dove and thanks again for calling." Hiram said.

"You're welcome. I hope the two of you have a good night as well." Shelby said.

"Bye bye." Hiram said before ending the call.

Shelby's heart was pounding. Tomorrow she would meet with two men who would change her life forever. She just didn't know how much.

* * *

After Shelby ate dinner, she decided to check her Facebook and see what was going on. Her inbox had over thirty messages all asking her where she was, if she was coming back and why she left. Her best friend Cassandra July had messaged her everyday since the day she left, every message growing more worried. Shelby knew she at least owed Cassandra an explanation. Because she was the only one who had seen how bad it was between Shelby and her parents. And she was also the only one who knew how much of a scumbag Reggie was.

_Shelby: Hey Cass, I just want to let you know that I'm ok. Don't worry. xo Shelbs_

Shelby wasn't at all surprised when she got a message back right away.

_Cassie: Don't worry?! What the hell Shelbs?! When you didn't show up to the wedding, your Mother went ballistic and my Dad had to give her a sedative. Reggie was pissed off and raved about being ditched at the altar like the spoiled little shit he is. And you worried the hell out of me Shelbs! I'm glad you're alive, but I'm so pissed you didn't tell me that you were going to run away! _

_Shelby: I couldn't tell you what I was planning. You know how my parents are. I ditched my cell, my car and I changed my name. Hell, I'm thinking of dying my hair. _

_Cassie: Sweetie, I'm so sorry. But, I'm glad you got out. Do you need money? _

_Shelby: No, I'm Ok for now. I have over $6,000 in cash and I have a job interview tomorrow. _

_Cassie: Please don't erase me from your life Shelbs. I know you need to be under the radar wherever you are but please don't ditch me._

_Shelby: Never. Best Friends until death. I'm going to deactivate this page Cass, but I'll make another one and add you. I'd give you my new number but I'm really paranoid about what lengths my parents and Reggie would go through to drag me back. _

_Cassie: I understand Shelbs. I'm sorry that running was your only option. _

_Shelby: I love you Cass xo_

_Cassie: I love you too!_

At the end of the conversation Shelby deactivated her profile. Now there was no traces of Shelby Corcoran anywhere. She walked into the bathroom and looked at the three different bottles of hair dye she had packed and picked up the blonde box of dye. She glanced at herself and then at the box again and smiled. She'd give blonde a try and see how she liked it. She read the instructions on the back of the box and got to work. Fifteen minutes later, She hardly recognized herself. "Perfect!" She said out loud. She climbed into her double bed and nestled into the soft down covers and slept peacefully for the first time in years.

* * *

The next morning Shelby ordered bacon, eggs, fruit and coffee for breakfast and watched some TV. Usually she would eat with her parents. And even though they ate together, they ate in silence and that was the same as eating alone like she was now. She sighed as she remembered one particular morning during breakfast her senior year:

_"Honestly Shelby! Why on earth would you want to waste your college fund learning how to listen to people complain about their lives?" Elaine nagged her daughter. _

_"Because Mother, I want to help people. I want to make a difference." Shelby said. _

_"You'd make a difference if you got a PHD Shelby. Just humor your Mother. Hmm?" Elaine said in a tone that meant she really wasn't asking. _

_"Alright Mother, I'll go to medical school instead." Shelby muttered. _

_"What was that dear. You have to enunciate." Elaine said. _

_Shelby swallowed the urge to roll her eyes. "I'll go to medical school." She said crisply. _

_"Good." Elaine said, popping a piece of melon into her mouth. _

Shelby shook away the memory and sighed. She was determined to never go back to that. And decided she might go to school and become a psychologist after all once she got more settled. She cleaned up her trash and rolled her tray outside before changing out of her pajamas and into skinny jeans a nice blouse and open toe heels. Just as she finished her make up the front desk rang letting her know Hiram and Leroy were waiting for her in the hotel restaurant.

"I'll be right down." Shelby said. She hung up, ran her fingers through her hair and headed for the elevators. She walked into the restaurant and looked around, then frowned when she realized she didn't know what Hiram or Leroy looked like.

"May I help you Miss?" The Maitre D asked.

"Yes, I'm looking for Hiram and Leroy Berry." Shelby said.

"Are you Mrs. Dove Markwell?" The Maitre D asked looking Shelby over.

"Oh, I'm not married. It's Ms. Markwell." Shelby corrected.

"Oh, right this way." The Maitre D grabbed up a menu and lead Shelby towards the more secluded part of the restaurant where two men were sitting.

When Hiram and Leroy saw Shelby coming they stood up and painted smiles on their faces. "Dove?" Leroy asked.

"Yes, Hello." Shelby said putting her hand forward to shake.

"I'm Leroy." Leroy said shaking her hand.

"And I'm Hiram. You're absolutely gorgeous!" Hiram said shaking her hand. "Please have a seat." He said gesturing to the two chairs across from them.

Shelby sat down and got comfortable. "Thank you. So, where do we start?" She asked.

"We have been very unfortunate in our quest to start a family so far." Hiram said sadly.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Shelby said.

"We just had an adoption fall through a month ago. And our last surrogate miscarried." Leroy said.

"I'm so sorry." Shelby said. She felt so bad for these men. She wanted to help them. They seemed nice and she thought with their big hearts they would make loving parents.

"Tell us about yourself Dove." Hiram said.

"I'm twenty one years old, I don't have any children or any family and I just moved here from New York." Shelby said.

"Why do you want to be our surrogate?" Leroy asked.

"Like I said, I just moved here. I could really use the money. After the baby is born I'm going to go to school and get my Master's to become a child psychologist. You seem like a nice couple and I'd love to help you complete your family." Shelby said. She was honest without giving away too much about her past.

Leroy and Hiram shared a look before turning to Shelby with huge smiles on their faces.

"Dove, we know we've only just met you, but we feel this is right. What do you say? Will you have our baby?" Hiram asked.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I get so happy every time I sit down to write a chapter of this story! I have so many surprises planned and I can't wait to see what you guys think of what I've come up with! The story is going to start picking up after this chapter. Again, thank you for reading. **

**Chapter 3**

"Yes, I would love to have your baby." Shelby said, her smile was equally as big as the men across from her.

"Thank you so much!" Hiram said. He picks up the cloth napkin and dabs at his tears of joy.

Leroy rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "We greatly appreciate you offering to do this for us Dove." He said.

"I can see it means a lot to you. I'm more than happy to do it." Shelby said. "What's the next step?" She asks.

"Well, tomorrow you'll meet with the fertility specialist and she will give you a thorough exam, and ask questions about your cycle." Leroy answered.

"Oh Ok, it doesn't sound too scary." Shelby said.

"Once we find out you're pregnant you will receive twelve and a half thousand dollars. If the pregnancy is successful and you deliver a healthy baby you'll get the other half." Hiram said.

"Sounds easy enough." Shelby said.

The next day Shelby meets the Berrys at the fertility center. She's squirming anxiously in her seat, waiting for her name to be called.

"We'll be right out here Dove." Leroy said, patting her leg. He could tell Shelby was nervous. And wanted to show her as much support as possible.

When Shelby gets called back, the nurse takes Shelby's weight, temperature and blood pressure. Before leaving, she hands her a robe and instructs her to take off all her clothing and put it on.

"Wait? What?" Shelby asks confused.

"Dr. Claremont gives all new patients a complete physical on their first visit." The nurse kindly explains before exiting the room.

Shelby strips down and slips into the robe before hopping up onto the exam table. She doesn't know how long the Dr. is going to be so she starts playing mahjong on her phone. She gets so engrossed in the game she almost doesn't hear a knock at the door before it opens.

A woman about ten years older than Shelby with red hair in an A-line cut, a kind smile and blue eyes enters the room. "Hi, I'm Dr. Terri Claremont." She said, holding out her hand for Shelby to shake.

"Hello, I'm Dove Markwell." Shelby said, accepting the Dr's hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm going to perform a pap smear and an ultrasound of your ovaries today." Dr. Claremont said.

"Ok." Shelby said nervously.

"Relax." Dr. Claremont said, squeezing Shelby's shoulder. "Go ahead and lay back for me." She says, putting on gloves to perform the vaginal exam.

Shelby lays back and releases a shaky breathe. She thinks about why she's doing all of this. She tells herself it's so she can have the life she wants to live. A life free for making her own decisions and thinking for herself. A life free of having someone tell her what she can and can't do.

"When was your last menstrual period?" Dr. Claremont asks. She takes the gloves off and tosses them. Then she squeezes some hand sanitizer into her palm and rubs her hands together vigorously. She applies some gel to Shelby's lower abdomen and moves the ultrasound wand around and snaps a few pictures.

"A week and a half ago." Shelby said.

"Ok. You'll need to come back in on the first day of your period." Dr. Claremont said. "I have everything I need. If you have any questions don't be afraid to call." She says, handing Shelby a card with her information on it.

"Thank you so much Dr. Claremont." Shelby said.

"You're welcome. Have a good rest of your day Dove." Dr. Claremont said, before leaving the room.

After Shelby walks back into the waiting room she sees Hiram and Leroy still sitting there and walks over to them. "It wasn't that bad." She said.

Hiram and Leroy stand together and embrace Shelby.

"Terri is the best!" Hiram said.

"We won't come to anymore appointments with you until it's time to inseminate." Leroy said.

Shelby nods. "Thank you so much for coming with me." She said.

"Of course. If you didn't like Terri, we would have found you someone else." Hiram said.

"Who will be the biological Father?" Shelby asks.

"That will be me." Leroy said. "Hiram has low motility." He adds.

"Oh. Ok." Shelby said. She didn't know what all the terminology meant, but she understood enough.

On the first day of her period, Shelby goes in to see Dr. Claremont.

"How many days do your periods last?" Dr. Claremont asks.

"Five days." Shelby said.

Dr. Claremont nodded as she typed away on the computer. She printed out a calendar and circled a week on it. "This is what is known as your fertile window, when you're most likely to ovulate." She said, pointing to the calendar with a pen. She handed the calendar to Shelby.

"How will I know when I ovulate?" Shelby asked.

"Start taking your temperature, and using ovulation prediction kits. We are going to track your cycle for three months." Dr. Claremont said. She pulled out a box of ovulation strips and a thermometer and passed them to Shelby.

"Ok." Shelby nodded in understanding. She didn't realize all that was involved in getting pregnant.

_3 MONTHS LATER..._

"Hey, Dove. How are you feeling? It's O day!" Dr. Claremont asks when she enters the room.

"A little nervous." Shelby said. She's already on the exam table with her feet in the stirrups.

"It's ok. All your tests look great." Dr. Claremont said. She puts on gloves and positions the lamp so she can see what she's doing. She inserts the sperm into Shelby's canal and tilts the exam table up so Shelby's legs are in the air and sets the timer for fifteen minutes. "All done. When the timer goes off a nurse will come and set you right side up." She said, removing her gloves and turning the lamp off.

Once she leaves, Shelby starts giving her body a pep talk, laying her hands over her lower abdomen. "C'mon body. Women get pregnant everyday. We can do this." She chants over and over until the timer goes off.

Three weeks later Shelby is feeling horrible and she notices she's a couple of days late. She decides it's time to take a pregnancy test. She goes into the bathroom and pees in a cup, then she takes the test out of the box and dips it in the pee for five seconds. Then she waits. She waits for five minutes. When the five minute timer on her phone goes off, she takes a deep breath and turns the test over. And her face breaks into the largest smile when she sees two pink lines. She's pregnant! She takes a picture of the test and sends it to Leroy and Hiram. Less than two minutes later they are calling her.

"Dove?! It worked?" Hiram asked excitedly.

Leroy tells Hiram not to get so worked up or else he'll pass out. "You're really pregnant? On the first try?" He asks in disbelief.

Shelby giggles. "Yes. I'm pregnant!"

**Sorry about the boring medical stuff. But, I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"I'm just so in shock." Leroy said. "It took our last surrogate four cycles to get pregnant." He was extremely pleased.

"I gave my body a pep talk on insemination day during the fifteen minutes." Shelby said, with a chuckle.

"Keep working that magic Dove!" Hiram said.

"You're a God send!" Leroy said.

"Let us take you out to dinner to celebrate and we'll pay you the first installment." Hiram said.

"Sure, where?" Shelby said. She was thrilled. She already loved the life inside of her even though it was no bigger than a sesame seed.

"Do you like italian?" Leroy asked.

"I love italian." Shelby said.

"Then we'll take you to Madeo." Leroy said.

"Dress nice and we'll pick you up in thirty minutes." Hiram said.

"I will. I'll see you in thirty." Shelby said.

"Bye bye Dove." Leroy said.

"Bye." Shelby said. She put her phone down and sighed. She ran her fingers through her hair and smiled at herself in the mirror. Then she placed her hands on her lower abdomen. "I can't wait to meet you." She said.

Thirty minutes later Shelby was climbing into the backseat of Hiram and Leroy's car and they headed for Madeo Italian restaurant.

"So, Dove, how are you liking LA so far?" Hiram turned around in his seat so he could see Shelby's face.

"So far it's nice. It reminds me of New York." Shelby said. She bit her lip because she didn't want to bring up her past. _"Shit" _She thought.

"Is that where you're from?" Hiram asked.

"Oh...No, I've visited there though." Shelby said. She was hoping to cover her tracks before Hiram and Leroy got suspicious.

"Where are you from?" Leroy asked. He glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

"I'm from a small town in Ohio." Shelby said. Sometimes it was hard for her to remember her new background story.

"Do you miss it?" Hiram asked.

"No, there's nothing there I miss." Shelby said.

"What about your family or friends? Or a special someone?" Leroy asked.

"I don't have any family. There's no one special, but I do miss my best friend." Shelby said.

"Have you told him or her what you're doing?" Hiram asked.

"I wasn't going to tell her until I was pregnant." Shelby said. She bit her lip because she knew once she told Cassie, she would try to come to her and be with her through this.

"We just want you to know that we will be here for you. Whatever you need. We're so grateful you're doing this for us." Leroy said.

"I'm glad to be doing it for a nice couple like you." Shelby said. And she meant it. She wouldn't give use of her body to just anyone. She really felt in her heart that these two men were warm hearted and kind. She had no idea how different it would turn out to be.

The rest of the ride to Madeo was silent. Not an uncomfortable silence. Just everyone in their own thoughts.

* * *

Once they got to the restaurant and were seated, they started talking again.

"Now that you're pregnant you'll need to move out of that hotel suite." Hiram said.

"I know, I haven't found an apartment I like yet." Shelby said.

"Well, hopefully the first half of the money helps you find a place you find suitable." Leroy said, sliding an envelope across the table.

"Thank you." Shelby said, taking the envelope and slipping it into her purse.

"No, thank you." Hiram said.

The waiter arrived to take their order, "Good evening, how are you all doing tonight?"

"We're celebrating! We're having a baby!" Hiram said with a grin.

"Congratulations!" The waiter said.

"Thank you." Leroy said.

Shelby couldn't keep the smile off her face if she wanted to.

"What will the Mother-to-be have?" The waiter asked.

"I'll have the shrimp alfredo with garlic bread and steamed veggies." Shelby said.

"Actually make it the chicken alfredo." Leroy said.

Shelby looked up at Leroy so fast she almost got whiplash. In that moment she felt like she was back under her Mother's controlling thumb and she didn't like it at all.

"You can't have seafood Dove. The mercury is bad for the baby." Leroy said.

Shelby nodded and sighed. She wished she had spoken up and let Leroy know she didn't appreciate that but she just shook it off. She was quiet for the rest of dinner minus a few nods and head shakes here or there. When she got back to her hotel room, she decided it was time to make a new Facebook profile and contact Cassie. She uploaded a picture of herself with her new blonde hair and she was wearing sunglasses. Before she friend requested Cassie she sent her a message.

_Dove: It's me. _

_Cassie: Shelbs?! I've been so worried! You're hot as a blonde btw! _

_Dove: Thanks! I'm ok. I miss you Cass. _

_Cassie: I miss you too! Now can you tell me where you are?_

_Dove: I'm in Caliornia. I have something to tell you..._

_Cassie: California?! Geez when you try to get away, you really do don't you? What is it?_

_Dove: Yes! LOL! I'm pregnant..._

_Cassie:..._

_Dove: I'm serious Cass. _

_Cassie: I'm gonna rip that bastards balls off! _

_Dove: It's not his. I got a job as a surrogate for a gay couple for $25,000. _

_Cassie: Wow! _

_Dove: I needed the money Cass. _

_Cassie: I know, it's just...you're only 21 Shelbs and you're doing something really huge for some strangers. And I know you. You already love this baby. What are you gonna do when you have to say goodbye?_

_Dove: I do love this baby Cass and Hiram and Leroy never said I couldn't be in the baby's life._

_Cassie: But did they say that you could?_

_Dove: No...but I don't think they would do that...Look, I have to go but we will chat again real soon. _

Cassie was always making Shelby think. And Shelby didn't want to think about not having her baby in her life. She signed out and went to bed, holding her lower abdomen.

* * *

Hiram and Leroy met Shelby in the waiting room for her first ultrasound when she was about six weeks pregnant. Shelby is fidgeting in her seat and shaking her leg. Finally, she's called back to have her temperature, weight and blood pressure taken.

"Remove your top and slip into the robe." The nurse instructed before leaving the room.

"Don't worry Dove we won't look!" Hiram joked.

"You better not!" Shelby said. She took off her shirt and bra and put on the robe. "You can open your eyes now." She hopped onto the exam table and laid back.

"I can't wait to see it!" Hiram said, he leaned his head onto Leroy's shoulder.

"Me either." Leroy said.

"Me three!" Shelby said.

Dr. Claremont walked into the room before Hiram or Leroy could reply. "How's everyone doing?" She asked. She squeezed some sanitizer into her palm and sat in the stool next to the ultrasound machine.

"I'm a little nauseas." Shelby said.

"It's normal." Dr. Claremont said. "Try nibbling some saltines and a few sips of sprite before getting up for the day."

"Thanks, I will." Shelby said.

Dr. Claremont squeezed the gel onto her lower abdomen and moved the wand around. "There it is!" She said, pointing out the fetus.

"It looks like a little tadpole." Shelby said with a giggle.

"Leroy, look!" Hiram squealed.

"I see it, hon." Leroy said.

"It's too early to hear a heartbeat, but it's very strong at 150 bps." Dr. Claremont said. She clicked a button and they could see the heartbeat.

Shelby had tears falling for her eyes as Dr. Claremont printed out two copies of scans and placed one in her hand. She was even more in love with her baby now. And Cassie's words came back into her mind, _"What are you gonna do when you have to say goodbye?" _. Tears started to fall faster because she really hoped she never had to.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Song lyrics are from If/Then "Hey, Kid." **

**Chapter 5**

Shelby was eating her breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, fruit and whole wheat toast when she felt the worst wave of nausea crash over her. She barely made it to the bathroom before her breakfast made a second appearance. Once she was sure she wasn't going to puke anymore she rinsed out her mouth with mouth wash and sipped on some sprite. And she did it all with a smile on her face. She was just about to hop in the shower when her phone chimed, letting her know she had a new text.

"_Have you started looking for appropriate housing yet?" - Hiram_

Shelby rolled her eyes. They had just paid her last week, it wasn't like she could snap her fingers and find the perfect apartment just like that.

_"I haven't found anything yet. I'm going to see a couple places today." - Shelby_

_"Ok. You need a baby safe environment. Not that the Hilton isn't luxurious but you deserve to settle in before the baby comes." - Hiram_

_"I understand." - Shelby_

Shelby was beginning to become irritated. She wasn't sure if it was hormones or if Hiram was just being a nag and it was reminding her of her Mother but she felt like snapping on him. She put her phone on the night stand and walked into the bathroom. She turned the knobs until the water was the perfect temperature, then she hopped in. She sighed blissfully as the warm water caressed her body. She started singing...

**_"Hey, kid_**

**_Everyone's waiting on you, kid_**

**_Everyone's wondering what you'll do, kid_**

**_It's true, kid_**

**_Me too, kid_**

**_..._**

**_And the labor's eighteen hours_**

**_Oh my God, kid, move your ass!_**

**_Then at last you make your entrance_**

**_And well, kid, you're quite a sight_**

**_I'll be honest you're disgusting_**

**_But I know that you're alright_**

**_Though you're screaming and you're spitting_**

**_And I can't quite see your charms_**

**_They clean you and they clothe you_**

**_And they put you in my arms"_**

Shelby got out of the shower, dried her hair, dressed and headed out on her apartment hunt once again. She stepped out of the lobby doors and grabbed a taxi. The similarity between Los Angeles and New York made her feel a bit comfortable. Once she gave the driver directions, she began playing with her phone. She was just about to put it down when a message from Cassie popped up.

_Cassie: Are you mad at me for what I said a couple of days ago?_

_Dove: No, I'm not mad. I just don't want to think about not ever having my baby in my life. I love him/her so much already cass._

_Cassie: I know you do Shelbs. Maybe you should talk to them about what will happen after the baby is born. So you have time to prepare yourself. _

_Dove: I will. Just not today. I'm apartment hunting. _

_Cassie: Are you ever going to give me your new number?_

_Dove: Not until I make more friends on FaceBook so my profile doesn't look suspicious on your friend's list. _

_Cassie: You really are paranoid Shelbs. Your Mother asked me if I heard from you yesterday._

_Dove: What did you tell her?_

_Cassie: I told her that if I know you, wherever you are, you're happy and you're doing things you always wanted to do and that you would only contact me when you knew it was safe to do so._

_Dove: And?_

_Cassie: I think it was enough. _

_Dove: Thanks. I just pulled up to the first place. Later?_

_Cassie: Send me pics!_

_Dove: Duh!_

Shelby walked into the nice looking building and right up to the front desk and waited patiently for the young man on the phone to acknowledge her. Once he did, she told him she was here to see the building's Manager.

"That would be Ms. Fabray. I'll buzz her. You go ahead and have a seat."

"Thank you." Shelby sat down on one of the comfortable chairs and started playing with her phone again.

Five minutes later a slightly older looking woman with blonde hair and blue eyes approaches her.

"Hi, I'm Judy Fabray, I'm the Manager of this apartment building." She said.

"Hello, I'm Dove Markwell, I'm looking for an apartment to rent." Shelby said standing up and shaking Judy's hand.

"Follow me, I'll show you some of the apartments that we have available." Judy said, leading Shelby out of some double doors which led to the apartment complex buildings. "Are you single or married?" Judy asked.

Shelby got a little distracted by the courtyard outside of the office building but she shook it off. "I'm single." She said.

"Do you have any children?" Judy asked.

"I'm pregnant." Shelby said and a large smile covered her face.

"I'm expecting as well." Judy said. "Is it your first?" She asked.

"Yes, you?" Shelby asked.

"No, I have an older daughter. She's twelve." Judy said.

"It feels like so long ago since I was that age." Shelby said.

"Nonsense, you're still young." Judy said.

The two women continued to make small talk until they arrived to the first apartment Judy would show Shelby.

"This one doesn't have stairs, but it does have two bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, a walk in closet in the Master bedroom and a beautiful kitchen." Judy said as she pushed the key into the lock and opened the door.

"I love the large living room." Shelby said as she spun around.

"It's great if you like large furniture pieces." Judy said. "Come on, I'll show you the kitchen."

Shelby followed Judy into the kitchen and that's when she fell in love with the place. The kitchen had dark tile countertops with dark wood cabinets. "It's beautiful." She said. "How much is it a month?" She asked.

"Usually, I charge $2,000, but, I like you so we can negotiate the price." Judy said. "Do you want to see the rest of the place?"

"No, I'm sure it's perfect but I don't need to see anymore." Shelby said.

"Ok, let's go back to my office and talk money." Judy said.

"Ok." Shelby said.

After Shelby paid the deposit and the first and last month's rent and signed the paper's, her and Judy just sat in the office and talked.

"If you ever want anyone to talk pregnancy with, just call me." Judy said writing her number on a piece of paper and sliding it across the table to Shelby.

"I will, thank you." Shelby said taking the slip of paper and putting it in her purse. She left the office and grabbed a taxi back to the hotel. She couldn't wait to tell Cassie she had found an apartment.

_"Hey, I just wanted to let you two know I found an apartment." - Dove_

_"That's great!" - Hiram and Leroy_

Shelby didn't respond to that message. She put her phone on the charger and laid down on the bed. And before she knew it, she was asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm really, really sorry this update has taken so long. I have been busy dealing with some personal things. **

**Chapter 6**

Over the next few days Shelby focused on moving in to her new apartment and ordering furniture. She had just laid down for a nap when her phone started going off. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Cassie. "Hello?"

"Heyyyy, Shelbs! It's so good to hear your voice!" Cassie said. She was smiling ear to ear.

"It's good to hear yours too." Shelby said.

"How are you feeling mama?" Cassie asked.

"Tired. I just finished settling into the apartment actually." Shelby said.

"I want pictures!" Cassie said.

"I'll send some later." Shelby said. A thought dawned on her. "Hey Cass, not that I'm not thrilled you called, but how did you get this number?" She asked.

"I got it through your profile. But don't worry, you're Dove on my phone." Cassie said.

"Thanks Cass. So, why are you calling?" Shelby asked.

"I want to come see you." Cassie said.

"Won't your parents get suspicious if you take a random trip to California?" Shelby asked.

"No, I told them I was thinking about transferring Universities and I wanted to look at some out here." Cassie said.

Shelby smirked. "You've planned this." It wasn't a question. She knew Cassie could be down right devious.

"Yes I did." Cassie said proudly.

"When are you coming?" Shelby asked.

"I'll be there at the end of the week. Stock your kitchen for me!" Cassie said before hanging up.

Shelby rolled her eyes and shook her head. It would be wonderful to see her best friend again. She finally drifted off with a smile on her face. When she woke up she felt a tug in her stomach and promptly rolled over and puked into the trashcan by her bedside. When she was finished she opened her nightstand drawer and pulled out the mouthwash she kept there and swished her mouth out. Then she took a swig of ginger ale and ate a couple of saltine crackers. She was getting the hang of her pregnancy and she was proud of it. She had just finished blow drying her hair when her phone went off. "Hello?" She answered.

"Hello Dove!" Hiram said.

Shelby pulled the phone away from her ear and rolled her eyes. She was so sick of the Berry's constantly calling her. "Hey Hiram." She said.

"How are you feeling?" Hiram asked.

"I'm feeling fine. How are you?" Shelby asked out of niceties that had been taught to her in childhood.

"I'm good! Listen, Leroy and I wanted to have dinner with you this Friday. We were thinking we would come over and cook for you." Hiram said.

"That sounds good. My best girlfriend from home will be visiting." Shelby said.

"Oh perfect! Maybe we can get her to divulge some of your secrets!" Hiram said with a laugh. "Anything special you want?" He asked.

"I'm really craving Tiramisu..." Shelby admits.

"So we have dessert covered. What about dinner?" Hiram asked.

"Chicken enchiladas with olives and tons of cheese please!" Shelby said.

"You got it!" Hiram said. "See you Friday night Dove!"

The next day Cassie surprised Shelby by popping up at her door. "Surprise!" She squealed and pulled Shelby into a hug.

Shelby held onto Cassie just as tight and tears of joy streamed down her face. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Me too Shelbs...me too." Cassie said.

Shelby gave Cassie the tour and helped her put her things away, then they headed to the kitchen to make lunch. "It's really important that under no circumstances you slip up and call me Shelby Cass." She warned.

"I understand." Cassie said.

Shelby had given Cassie a complete download of her new life.

"I lied to them and if anything happens they can never find out who I really am." Shelby said.

"Oh Shelbs...you had to lie to protect yourself from Reggie and your parents." Cassie said.

"I know that but they wouldn't understand and you're the only one who really knows what it was like." Shelby said. She shook her head, she wouldn't let herself go there.

Over the next few days Cassie and Shelby enjoyed the sights of LA and quality best friend time. And when Friday hit they cleaned the house and rehearsed their stories once more.

When Leroy and Hiram arrived, Cassie didn't particularly take to them but she remained polite. The way they crowded around Shelby irritated her.

"So Cassie tell us all about Dove here." Leroy said.

"We've been friends our whole lives, since we were in the womb and I love her to death!" Cassie begins.


End file.
